


You and Me makes Three

by Coil



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: (kind of), Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, M/M, MIT Tony and Post-Endgame Tony do some shit together to try and save the world, Post-Endgame, Spoilers for the entire MCU tbh, Steve is in a permanent state of confusion, Time Travel, Tony Stark Lives, god I love timetravel, it's a lot less complicated than it sounds, me lowkey attempting to rewrite the MCU, smol bits of fluff, teenage!Tony, two tony starks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2020-07-08 01:31:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19861327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coil/pseuds/Coil
Summary: An alternate timeline in which Steve was the one who sacrificed himself at the end of Endgame. In the wake of his death, Tony makes a rash decision to go back to 1987, and defrost Steve ahead of time.1987: In which Anthony Stark – on the cusp of eighteen years, and soon-to-be graduate of MIT – gets confronted by his future self from 2023. With the help of Future Tony, they find something interesting buried in the Arctic.(Alternatively)Tony finds his teenage self utterly repulsive, teenaged Tony would gladly put a bullet into his future-self’s head, and Steve has no idea what’s going on.





	1. Back again

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this is a concept I've had in my mind for quite some time - not sure if it's been done before but I'm going to write it anyway haha ~ 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**_Tony Stark: 2023_ **   
Tony had grown accustomed to the feeling of his sins weighing down upon his shoulders.

He’d given way to his wrongdoings on countless occasions. Every death and defeat had been another brick upon his conscience. His guilt growing heavier and heavier – until his feet began to drag beneath him. He’d thought, by now, he’d be used to it. Or at least numb to the pain.

But this was a loss worth more than just an ache.

Seeing Steve’s name etched into that marble slab had struck him right between the ribs. It wasn’t an ache, but an insatiable burning. Like his lungs were shrivelling, and his heart was swelling. Everything hurt.

Just recalling the man’s face became a burden.

Of course, the worst part was Tony’s fear of forgetting his face entirely. Forgetting the warmth in his smile, or the sound of his laughter. It was all he could bring himself to think about.

“Tony,” Rhodey hissed, snapping him from his daze. “You have to focus.”

Tony couldn’t tear his eyes away from Steve’s gravestone. He found himself examining the bouquet of flowers nestled by its foot – looking lovely on the luscious grass. Steve would have liked the flowers.

“I know you miss him, Tony.”

He managed a weak smirk. Yeah, that felt like the understatement of the year.

“But we’ve got bigger problems right now.” Rhodey grappled him by the shoulder, turning him away from the grave. Still, Tony’s gaze wandered aimlessly. “We have to return the stones. If they remain outside of their original reality for much longer, it’ll--”

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” His voice was raspy, and out of practice. It’d been a while since he’d spoken to anyone. Three days, to be precise. “Time paradox, end of the universe, so on and so forth. I got the memo.”

“So you understand.”

“Sure I do.” Tony shrugged his shoulders, swallowing the lump in his throat. “The world doesn’t stop spinning just ‘cus Captain America’s gone. Someone’s gotta’ keep an eye out, right?” His skin prickled at his own words. 

_ Gone.  _ How could he possibly be gone…

Rhodey frowned with solace in his gaze. “You read that message he left you yet?”

“Yeah.” That was a lie. He had tried, of course. Gotten about half-way through the second line before crumbling. Reading that message felt like accepting the fact that Steve was truly gone. Tony wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. He took a deep breath – something that seemed to be growing harder with every passing moment. “Just some idealistic comradery bullshit. Same stuff he’s been spewing for the past eleven years.”

“Right… well, I’m glad you got that out of the way.” Rhodey stayed silent for a moment, looking down at the ground before saying, “So about the stones.”

“I’ll deal with it.”

Rhodey’s frown only deepened. “You sure that’s a good idea? Tony, I don’t think you’re in any state of mind to--”

“I said I’ll deal with it.” He turned to Rhodey with unexpected coldness. It soon softened as he noticed Rhodey’s look of concern. “Look, I… just… this is something I have to do. I want to be the one to put an end to this.”

Tony let himself look back once more at Steve’s grave, his chest growing tight.

Maybe after returning the stones, the pain would finally dissipate. Maybe. 

\---

_ ‘Tony, _

_ If you’re reading this, then it means I’m not around anymore. I mean, I’ve always assumed that you’d outlive me – because you’re you. Tony Stark, undying and undefeated. That’s what you’ve always been to me. Undefeatable. _

_ For a long time, I thought I wasn’t truly afraid of anything. And yet, there’s always been this one thing I’ve never had the courage to do. And, that’s why I’m writing it down while I still have time. In case I never get the chance to tell you. _

_ In the event that I die, I want you to know just how much you mean to me. Yes, sometimes you frustrate me. Sometimes your stubbornness and attitude really get on my nerves. But it never truly outweighed my affection for you. My love for you. _

_ You’ve impacted my life in so many ways. You’ve changed me – made me better than I was before. There have been times when I find myself unable to think of anything else besides you. I’ve held onto it for years – because no way in hell am I ruining your life for something so trivial as an emotional attachment. _

_ But, now that you know, I’m thinking I’ll rest a little easier. _

_ A part of me hopes you’ll never have to read this. I wanted to tell you myself. But I don’t expect the feelings to be mutual. You have your family to think about. So long as you’re happy, I don’t think it matters what I feel. _

_ I’m sorry I couldn’t leave you anything in my will. Frankly, I don’t have that much to give. But, I’m hoping you’ll accept my heart. Of course, that always belonged to you. Even if you didn’t know it. _

_ You’ll be okay. _

_ All the best, _

_ Steve.’ _

Tony’s hands began to quiver. The air grew thin in his lungs. Steve  _ loved  _ him. 

A suffocating wave of dread washed over him. He tried to steady his breath, but every heave seemed to tighten his chest. Leaning over the edge of his desk, with the letter pressed to his heart, Tony began to weep.

_ Why didn’t you tell me sooner? _

\---

**_Anthony Stark: 1987_ ** _  
_ Anthony took a sip of his beer, nodding his head at the silk banner hanging above the podium.

_ ‘Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Graduating class of 1987’ _

He smiled to himself. “Fuck yeah.”

A warm chuckle rumbled through the hall. “Shouldn’t you be saving the drinks for the post-grad party?” Rhodey said – slinging his arm over Anthony’s shoulders. 

“Listen, Rhodes. I got eight obligatory speeches to grind through in the next four hours. The only way I’m getting through this goddamn graduation is if I’m wasted over my balls.”

Rhodey scoffed. “Aren’t  _ you _ supposed to be delivering a speech tonight? You know – with the whole  _ summa cum laude _ thing?”

“ _ Summa  _ come-the-fuck-on _.  _ I don’t have time for that bullshit.” Anthony made his point by taking another gulp from his beer. “I’ll wing it.”

Rhodey arched his brow sceptically. “You do realise this is a graduation ceremony, not a slam-poetry meet.”

“I’m aware. I plan to thrill.” Anthony dropped a cheeky wink, causing Rhodey to momentarily gag.

“Y’know, if the commissioner finds out you’re drinking on campus, she’ll--”

“Tear my head off and sew it back on? Yeah, I figured as such. You ever slept with Melissa?”

Rhodey blinked a couple times, slightly dazed. “What?”

“Melissa G. from neuroscience. Brunette, nice boobs, kinda’ has a snaggletooth.” Anthony scrunched his nose in distaste. “You’re into that sort of charity work, right?”

“Wha-- no! Why would you ask me--”

“I got a bet going. If she gets laid tonight, I get Dante's car.” 

Rhodey scoffed, a slight fondness in his smirk. “You’re a piece of shit, Tony.”

“Runs in the family.”

A sharp voice, ice-cold and bitter to the ears, bellowed through the hall. “And what precisely do you Gentlemen think you’re doing?”

Anthony winced, hissing through gritted teeth. “Alright,” he whispered, “follow my lead.” Rhodey’s eyes widen as Anthony spun on his heels to face Superintendent Valerie. “Mornin’ Miss V! Hey, you do somethin’ with your hair? ‘Cuz you are looking--”

“Save it, Anthony,” the woman hissed, her tone laced with venom. “I have half a mind to suspend you for unruly conduct committed on campus grounds.”

Anthony whistled, drawing a teasing smirk. “Suspension, huh? And to think I was  _ so  _ looking forward to delivering that grad speech later this afternoon. Shame, really is a shame.”

Miss Valerie’s expression soured, jaw tensing. “I’m afraid, Mister Stark, you will not be attending today’s graduation ceremony.”

Anthony’s eyes flickered. “... I’m sorry, what?”

“Your Uncle Tony arrived about a half-hour ago. He’s come to take you home. Some urgent family matter--”

“Hold the phone,” Anthony interjected, swallowing back a snicker. “First off, I don’t have an uncle. I don’t know what kind of raggedy old geezer you got waiting in your office, but he sure as hell isn’t related to me.”

“Not according to your records, Anthony.” Miss Valerie drew up her clipboard. “Right here – Tony Stark, listed under your emergency contacts.”

“My what-now?” Anthony gave a dazed chuckle, moving to take another sip from his beer. Rhodey was quick to push his wrist down. “Either I’m having an acid trip--”

“Tony,” Rhodey grumbled warningly.

“Or your database is factually incorrect. Someone probably hacked into the MIT management system. Pretty plausible – considering the student firewall matches the complexity of an electric toothbrush.”

Miss Valerie pulled a plastic smile, eyes narrowed with bitterness. “I highly doubt that, Anthony. I think you’ll find the resemblance is  _ uncanny _ .”

\---

_ … Well, she wasn’t wrong. _

“Hey, Junior,” the stranger greeted, clapping a hand hard over Anthony’s shoulder. “Long time no see.”

The man had his eyes. His playboy smile and charismatic voice. Well dressed in some funky designer suit. Hair combed back. Everything seemed a pure carbon copy, aside from the fact he was… older.  _ Much  _ older. Matured, and mellow to the sight. Creases about his eyes and forehead – like time had worn away at his charm. Not to mention the goatee.  _ Man, that’s tacky. _ Anthony was caught between staring in awe, and slight fear.

“... ‘Kay, definitely an acid trip.”

The man, who so  _ claimed  _ to be ‘Tony Stark’, arched an inquisitive eyebrow – lips drawn in a cocky smirk. “What’s the matter, kid, you don’t remember me? Christmas of ‘84? You threw up on the dinner table ‘cuz you drank too much eggnog.”

Rhodey tried and failed to stifle his laughter. Anthony’s face reddened, his jaw stiffening. “How’d you know ‘bout that?”

“Kinda’ hard to forget, if I’m being real honest.”

“What’re you, some government spy? Did my dad send you?”

“That’s enough, Anthony,” Miss Valerie said. “Mister Stark’s here to take you back to your family for the rest of the week. You won’t be expected back on campus until after the holidays begin.”

“Your old man’s got a business trip planned,” Tony said, his tone annoyingly smooth. “Company kinks, system management – you get the gist.”

“Where?”

“Tell you on the way.” Before Anthony had the chance to protest, Tony had his arm around his shoulders – practically dragging him towards the exit. “Thanks for the help, Miss V – drop me a line if anything comes up.”

_ Miss V? _ Anthony arched up his brow. Since when did  _ anyone  _ call her by that nickname besides him?

Reluctantly, Anthony allowed the stranger to drag him out of the campus building, (though, it didn’t seem like he had much of a choice in the matter.) “Alright, start talking, old man. I’m about to lose my damn mind.”

Tony snickered a little, breathing a short sigh. “Good to see you too, buddy.”

With the man’s arm still slung over his shoulders, Anthony caught the hint of a sweet, musky scent woven into the stranger’s skin. A  _ familiar _ scent. “Are you wearing Dior cologne?”

Tony hummed half-heartedly. “Fahrenheit, to be precise.”

_ Hold up.  _ “Fahrenheit’s not due to release for another year. Where the hell’d you get that?” In truth, Anthony had been sent a PR package from Dior containing the exact same fragrance about a month ago. The new cologne hadn’t even been  _ announced  _ yet.

“Like it, right? Heads up – you’re gonna’ be wearing it for the rest of your goddamn life.”

Tony hauled the two of them into the student parking lot; stopping just beside a cadillac allante parked vertically across two disabled parking spaces. He hissed between gritted teeth. “God, you’re an asshole.”

“How’d you know this is my car?” Anthony said, neck beginning to tense up.

“Because I bought it, dumbass. Now get it.”

“I don’t have the--”

Tony held up his hand, twirling a set of car keys around his index finger. “Sidenote, stop stashing important stuff under the doormat. In about two months, you’re gonna’ seriously regret it.”

Anthony’s jaw stuttered for a moment, his hand bracing the side of his car.  _ It’s finally happened. I’ve actually gone insane.  _ “... Uhm--”

“No time, just get in. I’ll explain on the way.”

Tony unlocked the doors, hopping into the driver’s seat. Anthony had to take a moment to steady himself. This made. Zero. Sense.  _ Alright, think. A guy who looks  _ **_just_ ** _ like me, only fatter, older, and psychologically impared, shows up outta’ nowhere, wears my cologne, knows where I keep my keys, my car, and my geological background… wait. _

Anthony’s heart dropped to his stomach. Holy shit.

Sliding over the bonnet, he scrambled in through the passenger side – the car rattling as he slammed the door shut. He tried to calm himself, bones rusting stiff as Tony started up the engine. For a moment, he was silent, gathering his composure. Okay, keep it cool. “... You’re from the future, aren’t you?”

“No kidding, shortstack.” As Tony attempted to pull out of the parking lot, the car stalled – jostling forward before stopping dead by the sidewalk. “Shit…”

“It’s modified--”

“I  _ know _ ,” Tony muttered, starting the car up again. “Thought it’d be clever to rig up your motor to an electric out-put gear, didn’t you.”

“Pretty neat, right?”

The man hummed disapprovingly. “Little austentatious.” Eventually, Tony got the car running again – heading onto the main road.

“It’s a work-in-progress,” Anthony admitted.

“Reroute the electro power source to a secondary outlet instead of directly to the engine.”

“... Can I ask a question?”

“Shoot.”

“What the fuck, man!” Tony winced as Anthony raised his voice. “You’re here.  _ I’m  _ here.  _ WHY _ are you here? What the hell’s going on? And what’s with the beard?”

The man muttered under his breath, “Christ, was I always this goddamn obnoxious?” His chest heaved with a sigh. “Alright listen up, kid. In about thirty-one years, some guy’s gonna’ try and wipe out half of the earth’s population.”

Anthony froze, his eyes growing wide for a moment. “... Huh.”

“In my timeline, he succeeds. I’m here to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

_ Wow. So I’m a psychopath in the future. Duly noted. _

“I get the feeling you’re not taking this seriously.”

Anthony blinked a couple times. “Oh, yeah no, I’m zoned. Super serious. My brain is pathologically  _ in the zone _ .”

Tony rolled his eyes, purposefully making a sharp break as they came to a set of traffic lights. Anthony shot forward, hitting his knee against the dashboard with a yelp. “S’why you wear a seatbelt, kid.”

\---

“So, let me get this straight--”

Tony resisted the urge to purposefully crash the car. Did this kid ever shut up?  _ How did Rhodey ever put up with me? _

“ _ You  _ want  _ me  _ to convince  _ my dad _ to fly out into the middle of butt-fuck nowhere and defrost Captain America – a guy that’s been supposedly frozen in the Arctic for  _ forty-two _ years. Am I missing something, or is this some insanity level bullshit?”

“Trust me, your dad’s gonna’ wanna’ help out. He was friends with Rogers back in the day.”

Anthony gave a dull scoff, turning his head towards the window. “Yeah, I’m aware. Old bastard never shuts up about that cringy lil’ capsicle.”

“Hey,” Tony snapped, heart clenching a little. “Don’t talk smack about your ol’ man-- or Steve, for that matter.”

“ _ Steve? _ What, you guys are all buddy-buddy in the future?” Anthony teased, a cocky grin spread across his lips.

Tony’s grip around the steering wheel tightened, his chest beginning to cave. “... Somethin’ like that.”

“Why didn’t you bring Mister America with you on your little mission? If he’s as damn great as my dad  _ says  _ he is, then--”

“Because he’s dead.” Anthony’s smile fell. Whatever quip he had up his sleeve seemed to dissolve into the air. Tony felt his lungs begin to shrivel – as he recalled Steve’s name plastered across his gravestone. A gravestone that wasn’t even meant for him. “In my timeline, Rogers died to save the rest of humanity. You disrespect that man’s name again, and I will go out of my way to  _ personally  _ shut you up.”

Sharp silence flooded the car. Tony didn’t even want to look at his younger self. The very sight of him was a reminder of all the mindless things he’d done wrong. Every arrogant mistake. Every fault in himself was encapsulated in this one, pathetic human.  _ It should have been me. _ Steve was  _ good. _ He was  _ brave. _ He didn’t deserve to die. _ It should have been me. _

“Sorry,” Anthony said, voice low – almost sincere. “… I didn’t know.”

Tony swallowed the lump in his throat, mustering his usual composure. He hid his grief behind a short, simple smile. “Don’t mention it. It’s kinda’ why I’m here.”


	2. The Search

The mansion was just as Tony remembered it. When he was a kid, he used to consider it a prison. A glorified golden cage keeping him from independence. Between home and boarding school, all he’d ever longed for was freedom. It felt surreal to see it standing right in front of him. The home of which his father neglected, and his mother truly adored.

Anthony got out of the car, stretching his arms above his head with a groan. “So much for the graduation afterparty.”

“Trust me, kid, you’re not missing out.”

Anthony moved to stand next to Tony, crossing his arms over his chest. “So,” he started, “what’s your shtick, grandpa?”

“What, besides preventing you from making a myriad of systematic screw-ups in the near future? Here, have these back.” Tony attempted to hand the car keys over.

Anthony stared at his hand, drawing a sharp breath. “Uhhh, yikes, I don’t--”

“Like being handed things. Yeah, I got that.” Tony dropped the keys onto the floor directly onto Anthony’s shoes. He then proceeded to walk towards the front door, hands shoved into his pockets. “C’mon, slick.”

Anthony scoffed, keys jangling as he scooped them off the ground. “So I’m a neurological asshole in the future. Good to know.”

“Correction, you’re  _ less  _ of a neurological asshole in the future.”

“Tough burn, gramps. Don’t wear yourself out.”

The two stopped at the doormat, both silently staring at the handle for a moment. The last time Tony was here, he’d just found out both his parents had died in that supposed car crash. Of course, that little trauma hadn’t occurred yet. Not in this timeline anyhow. Discomfort coiled inside his stomach. This whole situation felt surprisingly disturbing.

Anthony squinted. “So… you gonna’ knock, or...?”

“Gimme’ a sec.”

Losing his patience, Anthony drummed his fist against the door. Tony had to chew the inside of his cheek to resist slapping the kid across the jaw. “Yo, Jarvis! Open up!”

_ Jarvis? _ Oh… Edwin.

The door slid open. Standing in the archway was an elderly gentleman with a humbled face. Despite his age, he stood without a hunch – wearing an all too familiar butler’s waistcoat. Every crease and crinkle lining the man’s softened features sent nostalgia buzzing through Tony’s long-left memories. “Anthony?” the man said lowly, in his calm British tone. “Shouldn’t you ought to be on campus at this hour?”

“Yeah, so funny story,” Anthony said beneath a chuckle. He scratched the back of his head, glancing through the doorway. “Dad home?”

Edwin pulled a gentle frown. “I’m afraid Mister Stark is currently on a business trip in Washington. Had your arrival been scheduled, I’m sure he’d have timed the trip in correlation.”

“Yeah, sure...” Anthony lowered his head a little. Tony personally recognised it as a weak attempt to hide his disappointment. 

Edwin turned his attention towards Tony – his expression sagging. “I’m terribly sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

Tony swallowed the lump in his throat. For the longest time, Mister Jarvis had been the closest thing he’d ever had to a father. Here stood the man that raised him. The man who took him for walks, and folded his clothes whenever his father was having a fit. The very same sensible man, who he’d buried a lifetime ago.

“Yeah, so,” Tony tried his best to smile. “You might wanna’ sit down for this one, Chief.”

\---

“I’d always suspected you’d grow to be a remarkable man, Anthony,” Edwin said, as he went about pouring the third cup of tea. “But time travel? Rather impressive, if I do say so myself.”

Tony smirked, fondness filling his chest. The two sat together in the family dining room, waiting on Anthony to finish raiding Howard’s office. “Yeah, kinda’ had a neurological impulse. Quantum physics an’ all that jazz. Couldn’t have done it without my team.”

Edwin smiled. “You sound rather like your father.” He turned his head up towards Tony, expression slowly dissolving. “Though, I must say, you look awfully tired.”

Tony’s shoulders heaved. “Yeah, well – it’s been a rough week.”

“Is your future truly so much of a burden?” Edwin asked.

“Ah, it’s not all bad. I have a daughter, name’s Morgan. Total sweetheart. You’d have loved her.”

“Of that I’m certain, Mister Stark.”

Tony’s hands grew warm as he saw Edwin’s eyes begin to soften. Solace tugged at his heart, as did his grief. “... It’s real good to see you, Jarvis.”

Before the man had the chance to reply, a terrible rumble of hurried steps rattled through the walls. Anthony kicked the dining room door open with his foot – his arms occupied by stacks of papers and broken folders.

“Alright.” He dropped the notes onto the table with a thud, the teacups rattling in fear. “So here’s what I got. Three 1945 reports on the Valkyrie bomber crash, March 4th. Managed to decrypt some of dad’s S.S.R. findings – key code, Rogers. I know, you’re welcome. Hold the applause.”

“The Valkyrie…  _ Shit. _ ” Tony had forgotten to take down Steve’s locale coordinates before he’d taken the time-jump.

“According to Howard Stark,” Edwin chipped in, “the search party for Mister Rogers was called off after the S.S.R. reobtained the Tesseract. It was found near the crash sight. Steve, on the other hand, was not.”

“Yeah… he’s not supposed to be found for another twenty-four years,” Tony explained. “... But I’d hate to keep the man waiting.” For a moment, he lost himself in thought. “... I might be able to use my suit’s quantum radiation processor to simulate the Valkyrie collision. Possibly estimate where Rogers went under.”

Anthony arched up an eyebrow. “ _ Suit? _ Quantum radiation? The hell you talkin’ bout, old man?”

Tony rolled his eyes, massaging away the headache pawing at his temples. “Spoiler alert, you make a suit. The Iron-Man suit. Made it when I was being held captive in Afghanistan by these guys called the te-- you know what, it’s a long story. The point is, the Arc reactor should be able to generate enough power to support a recreation simulation that’ll help me bring Cap’ home.”

Anthony’s brow sunk into a frown. “Arc reactor… like that palladium core doohickey dad uses to power Stark Industries?”

Tony shrugged. “Yeah. But better. And smaller.”

A smug little smirk made its way over Anthony’s expression. “You’re telling me I made an improved Arc reactor model?”

“No,  _ I _ made an improved arc reactor model. You didn’t do shit.”

Anthony pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes a little. “Can I see the tech?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“ _ No.” _

“Pretty please?”

Their bickering was promptly interrupted by the sound of the front door swinging open from the hallway. In fluttered a pair of voices. Voices that struck a soft spot in Tony’s memory, stilling his heart for a brief moment. 

“Howard, darling, these things do happen from time to time. I’m sure it was nothing personal--”

“Like hell it wasn’t personal! Swear to god, those petty S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives-- you know it’s times like these I miss Chester — you remember Chester, don’t you? Chester Phillips, God rest his soul. He’d have told those damn Agents to kiss my--”

Howard’s rambling fizzled as he and Maria entered the room. Their feet stopped dead at the doorway. Tony’s body stiffened at the sight of his parents; just as he’d recalled them when he was still young. Well dressed, humbled by greying hair and well aging faces.

“Anthony,” Maria said, wearily eying the youngest Stark as her face began to pale. “Sweetheart, why aren’t you at graduation?”

Howard pointed a stiff finger at Tony. “There’s a stranger in my house. Jarvis, why’s there a stranger in my house?”

“Dad,” Anthony muttered, “that’s, uh… not a stranger.”

Tony held his breath as Howard began to squint at him, his brow drawing low. His eyes cut from Tony, to Anthony, and back. The confusion riddled upon Howard’s face slowly melted into shock. He opened his mouth to speak, but words failed to leave his lips.

“... Anthony,” Maria said, though her eyes didn’t meet her son’s. Instead, they stayed planted on Tony — softening as she regarded his tired features. Tony’s heart swelled at the sight of his loving mother. It’d been so long. “That’s… you, isn’t it, Tony?”

He offered a meek half-smile. “Hey, mom.”

Silence thickened the air. A moment passed, and Anthony hissed, scratching the back of his neck. “Yikes… This is awkward.”

Tony swallowed a groan of irritation.  _ I’m gonna’ kill that kid. _

\---

Howard Stark had commissioned over twenty ships in 1945 to personally locate Captain America. Unfortunately, he’d been limited by the technology of his time; rendering all search efforts practically useless. No amount of money could have brought Steve back. It was only a matter of time.

Tony stood by the front window of the ship’s wheelhouse; watching the waves roll across the deep blue planes. The water glistened with the shimmer of a thousand diamonds, Arctic snow clumping upon its surface. Tony anxiously drummed his fingertips against the railing, knowing that very soon, he’d see Steve again.  _ Hang tight, Cap’. _

“We were out here lookin’ for him for months," Howard said, standing beside him. Tony turned towards his father, almost startled to see the deep sobriety in his eyes. As a child, he’d never so much as gotten a hug — or even a handshake — from the old man. And yet, here he was now, full of solace. “I didn’t want to call off the search, but the S.S.R. gave me no choice--”

“You did the best you could,” Tony said. “I know that now. S’why I’m here to help bring him home.”

Howard smiled. “... Y’know, I always knew you were destined to do great things, son. Time travel, now that’s a biggie.”

“Yeah,” Tony said with a slight snort, “just a lil’ something I whipped up at home.”

“Just like that, huh?” Howard chuckled, giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder. Tony smiled. “... In the past-- your past, I mean, did I… did I ever get to tell you how proud I was?”

Tony‘s heart grew heavy at his father’s words. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I uh… I got the message. Eventually.”

Howard nodded, turning his head to look forward. “Good, good...”

“Sir,” Came the voice of the ship’s captain, “we’re approaching the first gridpoint.”

Turning to Tony, Howard took a deep breath. “Alright, son. What’s the plan?”

Tony unzipped his coat and dug into his inner pocket. “Don’t freak, but,” he drew out his arc reactor; attaching the device to the centre of his chest, “I kinda’ one-upped you.”

Howard’s jaw fell open as the piece of tech began to glow a sharp blue. “Is that… a miniature palladium core?”

“Yup. Nanotech enhanced containment vessel. Pretty neat, right?”

Howard tapped his finger against the reactor’s exterior. “Remarkable. How’d you get it so small?”

“What can I say? Twenty-first century kind of had its perks. C’mon — let’s take a walk.”

“Wha--” Before Howard could pose any further questions, Tony was heading towards the door.

\---

_ “ _ **_All systems engaged, boss,_ ** _ ” _ FRIDAY declared as Tony shot into the misty Arctic air.

“That’s what I like to hear.” He stilled to a hover above the cotton clouds, examining the neverending dunes of ice below. “How’s that radio COM checking out?”

_ “ _ **_Negative, boss. I’m having trouble connecting to the Stark satellite._ ** _ ” _

__ “Yeah, probably because it hasn’t been built yet. Try running the SHIELD COM station. Should be a juvenile calibration.”

A moment passed as FRIDAY did as instructed.  _ “ _ **_Calibration successful_ ** _.” _

“Stark Cruiser 0.6, do you copy?”

_ “Uhh,” _ came Howard’s voice through the radio, “ _ yup, loud and clear.” _

“Awesome.”

_ “Hey, uh… h-how’s that thing work exactly?” _

“It’s nanotech, old man — try to keep up,” Tony teased, making his way to the vantage gridpoint. 

_ “Who you callin’ old?” _

With a scoff, Tony began the simulation reconstruction.

Lines of blue swept across his HUD; forming webs over the terrain. Tony hovered in place as he looked around — searching for any glimmer of information that could lead him to Steve. “FRIDAY, do a life-scan for me, would you?”

The HUD blipped from spot to spot.  _ “ _ **_No life detected, boss._ ** _ ” _

_ Shit.  _ Tony moved to the next gridpoint — flying as fast as his thrusters would carry him. “Scan again.”

The blips appeared again.  **_“Negative. No life detected.”_ **

Desperation poisoned Tony’s composure, his flight pattern growing erratic as he sped from point to point. “C’mon, Cap’, where the hell are you…”

Hours passed, and Tony’s armour was beginning to suffer beneath the Arctic’s grating weather. Frost crusted over the outside of his helmet, hindering his navigation. His thrusters struggled to stay active under the wind’s ice cold bite. Even his simulation map had glitched out once or twice.

But he refused to give up.

“FRIDAY, prepare for recalibration. I’m going down.”

With that, Tony shot towards the earth.

His HUB flickered as he landed.  **_“Scan calibration in process.”_ **

_ “Tony,” _ Howard said, the radio crackling beneath the onslaught of snow.  _ “I think it’s time to call it a day, pal’. The ship can’t wait forever.” _

Tony clenched his fists. “I need more time.”

_ “Tony, listen, we can resume the search another time, but it’s just not _ \-- _ ” _

“FRIDAY, disconnect active radio COM.”

The line went dead upon his request.

Tony was far too tired of doing the wrong thing. His life was littered with fuck-ups; one after another after another. Enough was enough. This one rescue — this one chance to save Steve — it had the potential to set the world right again. Every little wrongdoing Tony had stumbled through had led up to this moment. He wasn’t about to waste it. He ardently refused to let Steve down.  _ Not again. Not ever again. _

**_“Boss, I’ve detected a slight anomaly in the western grid.”_ **


	3. Waking Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!~
> 
> I just wanted to say a quick thank you for supporting this fic, and reading up to this far ^^ I’ve been anxious to get back into writing, but knowing that it’s entertaining even just one person has really motivated me to better myself! 
> 
> Anyway, thanks again, and enjoy! xx

As Steve came to, he registered the warmth of his own body against the sheets of a soft mattress. His limbs felt heavy and stiff beneath his skin. Sluggish. Pain pulsed through his bones at the slightest movement, brain swelling against his skull.

His eyes fluttered open, struggling beneath the glare of golden light leaking through a nearby windowsill.  _ Where am I? _

“Take it easy, Steve,” came a gentle voice. A familiar voice. His heart trembled in his chest, gaze slowly beginning to clear.

He saw the soft cream color painting the ceiling, and registered the scent of honey rose perfume permeating the air. Finally, the outline of a woman sitting by his side came into view — her gentle palm rubbing at his shoulder.  _ Peggy? _

Steve could tell she was crying by the soft stutters in her breathing. But amidst his blurred vision, he made out the sight of her smile. A smile warm enough to coax a flower into bloom. “It’s okay,” she said softly, “everything’s going to be alright.”

Despite his confusion, Steve felt his worry begin to melt away. He never thought he’d see her again. And yet, here she was. A part of him wondered if this was a dream. “... I’m not dead, am I?”

Peggy gave a gentle chuckle. “No. Well, not yet anyway. You’re in a recovery facility, Steve. You crashed the Valkyrie into the ice.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Steve affirmed, his throat still a little hoarse from lack of use. “... Did we win?”

“... Yes, Steve. Yes, we won.”

A morsel of relief washed over him, his lungs deflating with a sigh. “Sorry I missed our date.”

Peggy laughed softly. “Well, I had a feeling you’d be late.”

When his vision finally focused, he saw her face and its every detail. It… startled him. Beside him was his best girl; his Peggy — but older. Greying hair, with creases peppering her skin. Her doe eyes, welled with tears, were deeper than they’d once been. Tired. 

“Peg, you’re…”

Peggy nodded, still managing a smile. Her voice quivered. “You’ve been asleep for quite some time. About forty-two years.”

Steve’s breath caught in his throat.  _ What? _

He moved to sit up, but Peggy pressed her hand to the front of his chest, carefully urging him to stay put. “You’ve just been pulled out of suspended animation. You need to take things slow.”

“How did this happen?” He said, thoughts racing and heart pounding. “How did…”

“After you went under, Howard set up a team to look for you.” Peggy took a deep breath, struggling to keep her composure. “They searched for months, but it was like you’d completely vanished. We… we thought we’d lost you.” Steve saw the pain in her eyes, and it planted a deep seed of guilt inside his stomach. All these years, he should have been there for her.

Peggy took his hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. “But, you’re here now. That’s all that matters.” Steve was still uncertain of reality. Had it really been forty-two years? Smoothing his thumb over the wrinkles at Peggy’s knuckles, a sadness began to weigh down his shoulders. 

“Looks like I really kept you waiting, didn’t I.”

Hearing her laughter brought an ounce of solace to his heart. “You could say that again.”

\---

Tony had watched him wake from the other side of a one way mirror. He was surrounded by the bustling chatter of SHIELD’s observation team; young scientists scurrying frantically from place to place — taking notes of Steve’s reanimation progress. And yet, Tony remained oblivious to it. For perhaps the first time in his life, he felt the world grow slow and silent. As he watched Agent Carter comfort Steve in his first moments awake, a part of him yearned to be in her shoes.

Seeing Steve perish beneath the glow of the infinity stones had sent a numbness washing over him. Now, watching him wake — alive and well once again — the numbness was replaced with something sharper. More desperate. 

“Mister Stark,” a steady voice said. Tony tore his eyes away from Steve, turning towards the approaching grey haired gentleman. The stranger extended a hand towards him. “Agent R. Keller, at your service.”

Tony shook his hand. “Mister Keller. Director of SHIELD, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Indeed,” Keller muttered, adjusting his glasses. “Howard explained the situation to me yesterday. Legally, I’m obligated to tell you that everything you see here is strictly confidential, but — well, Howard vouched for you. I’ll be honest, it took me off guard. I mean, I didn’t even know he had a younger brother.”

Tony raised his eyebrows, feigning ignorance. “He never mentioned me? And here I was thinkin’ I was special.”

Keller snorted. “Well, you must be worth  _ something _ , considering he’s got a son named after you.”

“Oh, yeah.  _ That _ little asshole.” Tony scoffed. “Y’know, as far as hyperactive egotism goes, he just about takes the cake.”

“Well, I hear he’s a smart one. Just graduated from MIT, you know. Kid really knows his way around a circuit board. Social reputation aside; sounds like he could become a real asset to SHIELD one day.”

Tony hummed, biting his cheek to stop himself from smirking.  _ Buddy, you have know idea. _

“Speaking of circuits, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that tech you used to find Captain Rogers.”

_ Oh boy, here we go.  _ “Yeah, of course,” he cleared his throat, “the suit. I’d, uh, call it a passion project, I guess. Too much free time on my hands, and I’m not all that into knitting.”

Keller’s brow shot up. “You mean to say you built that armour in your spare time? By yourself?”

He gave a half-hearted shrug. “What can I say? I’m a man of dedication. ‘Course, if you’re wanting the fine details, you’ll have to talk to Howard. S’property of Stark Industries, after all.”

Keller scratched his chin in thought. “Y’know, we have a guy working with a super-suit in San Francisco at the moment. Don’t suppose you’re familiar with Doctor Hank Pym?”

_ Oh. That guy.  _ “Howard might’ve mentioned him a couple times,” Tony mumbled.

“Well,” Keller glanced over his shoulder, lowering his voice a little, “he’s been working with this revolutionary shrinking tech for the past twenty years. The, uh… Ant-man suit, he calls it. He’s looking for an assistive position, if you’re interested. Reckon you could do him some good.”

Tony frowned a little. While he had no business with Hank, he supposed he ought to thank the man in one way or another. If it weren’t for the discovery of the Pym particle, there’s no way in hell Tony would have been able to come back to save Steve. Perhaps Doctor Pym would benefit from a little bit of a modern influence…

“If you’re willing to work with Hank on the suit as an advisor, it could mean a huge opportunity for Stark Industries,” Keller said, turning to look at Rogers through the one way mirror. “You’ve clearly proven yourself worthy of such a project. Only if you’re interested, of course.”

Tony hummed beneath his breath.  _ How much can I meddle with this timeline before it becomes a problem.  _ After a brief moment of silence, he replied with, “I’ll think about it.”

\---

“So,” Steve said, leaning back in his chair, “what’d I miss?”

Peggy laughed as she placed her cup of coffee down onto the table. The two sat in a quaint little cafe not far from the SHIELD recovery base; quiet enough for them to have a conversation, but still out in the open — exposing Steve to the strange new world he’d left behind.

“Let’s see, where to start,” Peggy said, drumming her fingertips against the table as she thought. “Howard got married back in 65.”

Steve’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.” He broke into a wide grin. “Stark? Married?”

She nodded, holding back a snicker. “I know. I had the same reaction in fairness. Her name’s Maria, she’s a sweetheart. Their son Anthony’s almost eighteen.”

Steve’s chest heaved. “Wow.” That was… insane. Last he remembered, Howard was still a shameless womanizer relishing in his twenties. To think that same man had managed to settle down and build a family was pretty impressive. “And what about you?”

Peggy smiled down at her hands. “Well, I was a little earlier. I met my husband in 1947. We’ve had two beautiful children together since.”

A tinge of jealousy poisoned Steve’s composure. Thankfully, it didn’t outweigh his relief to hear Peggy had found happiness. He doubted he’d be able to live with himself, had she actually waited for him all this time. “I’m happy for you, Peg.” His tone wasn’t the most convincing, but Peggy still regarded him with eyes of understanding.

She reached across the table to hold his hand in her own, her smile comforting as the first rays of summer. “I know it’s hard, Steve. But it’s okay to be afraid. We’re all here to support you.”

Steve never quite understood how Peggy managed to read him so well. How she always knew what to say to make him feel better. It seemed, even in her old age, she’d barely changed a bit. 

The two sat and talked for hours about everything and nothing. Peggy told him of the Cold War, and the many battles she’d faced since 1945. Her life, in all its complexities, fascinated Steve — and he found himself clinging to every word, longing to know every nanoscopic detail of the many things he’d missed.

“And of course, by then, Howard had already started running his bloody film studio in Los Angeles,” Peggy rolled her eyes at the memory, causing Steve to chuckle. “While I can’t say it made a terribly revolutionary impact on the industry, it did help us destroy the Zero Matter Rift of 1947. Which reminds me, I ought to take you to see a film some time. They’ve gotten terribly good ever since CGI was invented.”

“I’m more of an old fashioned type myself,” Steve joked.

Peggy snorted. “Oh, don’t be so archaic.”

“Just trying to stay on brand. I  _ am _ pretty much an artifact at this point.” 

She shook her head affectionately. “As far as I’m concerned, Captain Rogers, you’re the best damn thing that’s come out of the ground in a long while.” 

Steve smiled, a curious thought playing upon his mind. “... So how’d SHIELD manage to find me in the end?”

“Well, it’s rather complicated unfortunately.” Peggy rested her chin against her palm with a sigh. “Howard’s brother, Tony Stark, uncovered you via means of arc reactor powered technology.”

Steve’s brow drew low. “Howard has a brother?”

“My thoughts exactly. Apparently he was somewhat missing in action until fairly recently.”

Scratching the back of his neck, Steve snickered. “Guess we have that in common.”

“Well, if you want to know more, you can ask the man yourself this evening. The Starks have invited us over for supper to discuss your new living arrangements.”

“Living arrangements?” Steve supposed he hadn’t thought about where he’d be staying from here on out. Something told him his old condo in Brooklyn probably wasn’t available anymore. 

“Daniel and I would be happy to take you in for as long as you need,” Peggy said. “Gives you time to get yourself back onto your feet. Of course, the Starks also have enough guest bedrooms to house a rugby team and then some. Alternatively, we can have SHIELD organize something for you — though, that might take a couple weeks to get approved.”

Steve’s eyes fell low for a moment. As much as he wanted to spend more time around his best girl, he didn’t know if his heart could stand living with Peggy and her husband. He found himself still seething with silent jealousy over the matter. He knew it was childish, but what more was he supposed to feel? Once upon a time, Miss Carter had been his dream girl. But, for whatever reason, the universe had decided it wasn’t meant to be.

Peggy seemed to notice his discomfort and, to his relief, decided not to question the matter further. “We can talk about it more over supper. But we’d better get going if we don’t want to be late.”

Steve nodded in agreement, smiling to hide his apprehension. He felt a little lost. Like he was never meant to be woken up in the first place. Everything had happened so fast, and suddenly he’d been thrust into this world of unfamiliarity; with nothing but a few familiar faces for guidance. 

He knew he’d come to terms with things eventually. It was only a matter of time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! ~
> 
> Constructive criticism's welcome <3


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